A well-maintained house is a well-loved home and a top buyer selling point. When you’ve taken time to spruce up the exterior and interior of your house, buyers take notice. Making simple repairs and minor updates to your space could also yield significant returns on investment (ROI). Here’s why sellers should be prioritizing upkeep when they list their homes.

The Benefits of Regular Home Maintenance

Prospective buyers want to feel welcome and comfortable walking through the front door, so you’ll want to keep up with appearances. After all, first impressions matter when selling a house.

Regular maintenance mitigates safety concerns and lets buyers know that all systems work effectively. This means that electrical wiring, plumbing, insulation and the foundation are up to code and unlikely to need repairs in the near future.

For instance, if you’ve put off fixing water damage, restoration costs could range from $1,361 to $6,270, depending on the conditions. Buyers may then have concerns about expensive unresolved issues or health problems from mold and mildew.

Upkeep can also entail energy efficiency. Eco-friendly upgrades help lower energy and utility costs while improving indoor air quality, and many buyers now look for them in listings. In fact, the U.S. Department of Energy says Americans could save $200 to $400 annually by updating outdated heating and cooling units and addressing drafts and air leaks.

Essential Home Maintenance Tasks for Sellers

Are you ready to make your home attractive to potential buyers? Fortunately, these four simple home maintenance tasks can make it appeal to the masses. 

  1. Schedule Regular Inspections

Annual inspections are essential to home ownership and are expected by interested buyers, including thoroughly checking the roof, HVAC, water heater, electrical work and structural components of the house.

 

Even the garage door needs to be inspected once a year, considering how it secures your home, shelters you from inclement weather and prevents intruders from breaking in. You can even do this yourself by looking for warping, wear and tear, signs of poor weatherstripping or cracking. Unevenness between the walls and floor could also indicate it’s time to replace it altogether.

  1. Enhance Curb Appeal

Your property’s exterior is the first thing buyers see when they pull up. Therefore, you’ll want your landscaping, walkways and siding to be tip-top. Curb appeal accounts for 7% of your property value, especially during weaker market conditions.

Ways to improve your curb appeal include the following:

  • Mow the lawn, plant vibrant flowers and add shrubbery.
  • Paint your front door and shutters and add new hardware.
  • Power wash your home’s siding to remove mildew, dirt and other debris.
  • Install outdoor lighting, such as solar walkway lights or decorative garden lights.
  • Ensure your address numbers are visible from the street.
  • Repair cracks and other trip hazards in the driveway and walkway.
  • Install window flower boxes for visual charm.
  • Clean the gutters to prevent debris accumulation and roof damage.
  • Add a unique feature like a fountain, lawn sculpture or decorated mailbox.

 

  1. Service Appliances

Like your central home systems and features, you should inspect and service all appliances to extend their life span and increase your home value. Scheduled servicing ensures the laundry machine, dryer, dishwasher, oven, stove, refrigerator and other fixtures operate correctly.

 

When appliances work efficiently, they help lower energy consumption and utility bills. Buyers are also more interested in appliances that work so they don’t have to replace them immediately.

  1. Address Minor Repairs and Cosmetic Issues

You’d be surprised at what potential buyers notice when they walk through your home, even taking notice of chipped or dirty molding. Some minor repairs you can do yourself include tightening leaky faucets, caulking the bathroom, replacing cracked tiles and repainting the walls.

A HomeLight survey found that fresh paint has a 152% return on investment of $7,571 in resale value. Just be sure to paint them white or neutral, as it’ll appeal to most buyers and help them visualize themselves in the space.

You could also hire a contractor to replace carpeting or refinish hardwood floors. Although refinishing hardwood flooring costs about $3,500, you can expect a 147% ROI when you sell. Meanwhile, installing new hardwood floors may cost about $5,500 with a 118% ROI.

Make Your Home Irresistible by Staying Ahead of Maintenance

A few tweaks and repairs go a long way in maintaining your house and appealing to potential buyers. From cleaning up the yard to fixing dents and peeling, you can make your home irresistible to anyone who walks through.

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